Friends, Feathers, and Futures
by Star Vortex
Summary: X-3 never happened. This is somewhere between X1 and X2. Sorry, I stink at summaries. Full summary inside. WarrenXOC Rated T for possible violence and language. I have no idea where this is going to go
1. The Comic

They were just five characters, modeled after her and her four friends.

Ana has always wanted to fly. Not like in a glider or plane, where there's a sheet of metal between you and the air, but really _fly_. She can't remember no wanting wings of her own. her friends understand, and share her desire. she puts all of her desire and feeling into her comic books, each one drawn and colored painstakingly by hand. Then, one day, she wakes up, and realizes that her stories may be coming to life, but what is the cost?

**I know that there's nothing about the X-Men in this chapter, **

**But don't worry all you fans, they'll come in around chapter 3 or something.**

* * *

"Excuse me, Miss. Skyre, but the class is actually being taught on _this_ side of the window."

Anastasia jumped, her gaze snapping back to the work on her desk. She had been staring out the window, enviously watching a wild hawk circle above the school. Since as long as she could remember, she had wanted to fly. Her parents sometimes talked to her about taking gliding lessons or pilot lessons, but they just didn't understand. While flying or gliding might satiate her to some extent, it just wouldn't be the same. It would be like gliding wherever she wanted to go, which would be useful, but nothing would be able to take the place of the thrill of running with her own two feet. If she was ever to fly, she wanted to do it with her own power, to feel her own energy, to sweat with the effort of doing something difficult and spectacular in the clouds. What she really wanted… was _wings_. And not any wire-and-metal mumbo jumbo they might invent in the future.

Not paying any more attention than she had five minutes earlier, Ana pulled out a piece of computer paper that was already half filled with drawings. Ever since she had started middle school (Ana was 14), she had passed the classes away with her drawings. She had exactly 285 and 1/2 pages of some all-American comic drawings. She had nine complete books, all hand-draw and colored. Each of the had about thirty pages each, and Ana was working diligently on her tenth. They were part of a storyline that Ana had titled AngelForce. It was about five teenagers; Sasha, the ringleader; Jack, the second-in-command; Paul, the clown; Shane, the computer-addict; and Caden, the omega-lowest, the punching bag, and the wimp. One fateful morning, they all grew wings. Their parents pulled them out of school, and each had to deal with their own family issues. But through high school, the teenagers had formed an unbreakable bond, an understanding so perfect that it bordered the ability to read each other's thoughts. Though they could very well read each other's thoughts to a certain extent and usually did the exact same things perfectly as a team without any verbal contact, they had never been able to actually use real telepathy. Until they changed. After a total day of staying in their houses, Sasha heard voices in her head. They got louder and louder, until she screamed out—mentally and verbally—to stop. Her parents were out at the doctor's, so the didn't come running as they would have otherwise. Sasha then heard Jack's voice in her head.

_Sasha?_

_Jack!_

_What… how?_

_Did you hear them too?_

_The other voices?_

_Yeah._

_I did._

_Sasha and Jack? Is it you?_

_Paul! You too?_

_I'm here as well._

_Shane!_

_And me._

_Caden! So we're all here?_

_I guess. Are you guys a school._

_No._

_At home._

_Bored in bed._

_Same. Wait, are you guys home because—_

_Wings?_

_Don't tell me…_

_I have them too!_

_Same!_

_Here as well!_

Upon realizing and coming to terms with their transformations, the five teens planned a meeting on top of a skyscraper downtown. They all escaped from their homes, and flew there, each letting their instincts guide the beats of their wings. They met, and realized that their wings were different colors. Sasha's were white to a certain extent, with black flecks in them like a snowy owl's. Jack's were black and glossy, like a raven's. Paul's were red and looked like fire in the sun, like a red-tailed hawk's. Shane's were blue, white, and black, like a jay's, and Caden's wings were mottled brown and grey, like a barn owl's. While they were in the middle of talking things over, the lower portion of the skyscraper (also a very large bank), was attacked. Without thinking, the five winged teens dropped out of the sky. The spectators of the robbery were shocked as they saw five angels appear from the clouds and fly into the bank. In a matter of minutes, the muggers were unconscious, tied up in their own chains, and the police had arrived. Startled, Sasha broke a back window through which the other four escaped behind her. When they returned home, they found their houses on fire, and a tape recorder in Sasha's living room. There, they got a message.

"Welcome home, little Angels." The message began. "I am pleased to inform you that your families are all right. However, they are in my prison cells, and will stay that way for now. My name is Magman, and you five are in a very dangerous position; between me, and my goal. Have a nice day."

So ends the first book. In the second, they find out that Magman has the power to melt anything within a mile radius at will, and was plotting to destroy all humanit, and start a new world in his image. In this episode, the five actually name themselves 'the AngelForce', and also discover that they all have secondary powers, along with their wings, which they are just starting to get used to. Sasha has superhuman speed, and Jack has superhuman strength. They both also are at peak human potential, so jack has increased agility, stamina, and endurance, and even though he is faster than normal, he cannot hope to match Sasha, while she had increased stamina, agility, and endurance, though her increased strength is still far less than Jack's. Paul became unbeatable with weapons, and could shoot a bottle cap from half a mile away with a standard handgun, though he prefers the bladed Bo staff that he made himself. Shane retained superhuman brainpower, and could make anything out of metal. Caden got the ability to teleport. The rest of the books are about the Angels fighting Magman, though they never actually see what he looks like. Each of the characters stars in a book where they are the hero. They decided in the third book what their superhero names would be, and eventually got around to making their costumes in the middle of book four. Sasha was named Whiplash, Jack was named Standard, Paul was named Target, Shane paired up with his high-tech battle armor was named Cybernoid, and Caden was named Pulse.

"Ana! Pay attention!"

* * *

"_There's too many of them!" Standard yelled, taking out another robot. "We have to retreat!"_

_The waves of Magman's goons seemed endless, and there was always one more to take the place of one brought down._

"_Don't be stupid!" Whiplash said, taking out five robots a second. She flashed over to Standard. "Look up! There's nowhere to retreat to!"_

_Standard took out another one, and looked up, his heart nearly stopping in horror. A dome, blocking out the moon and stars, as well as the source of fresh air, had encased the top of the quarry. Standard knew Magman well enough to know that there were no air vents in the misused marble quarry that he had made his base. And robots didn't need to breath. Suddenly, the robot lines thinned, and then disappeared, all of them running into the shadows. It was already beginning to get a little warm. Suddenly, there was a huge tremor. Three seconds passed. Another tremor. They were footsteps. Of something __**really**__ big. The five angels walked backwards, meeting in the middle of the quarry back-to-back, wings touching. Then, out of a gaping hole, a huge machine stepped into the quarry. It was four-limbed, contraptions that vaguely resembled paws on the bottom of each one. Its head was roughly triangular, like a dog's. The whole thing was a mottled gray, with splotches of different shades spread out. It made a groaning noise every time it moved, the metal straining with its own weight. Two fierce weapons emerged from where the eye sockets should be. Sasha's eyes widened. She had seen those before. __**No…**_

_A huge roar ripped the air. A yellow all of electricity was shot from the robot's left eye. The angels scattered, the projectile exploding into reaching yellow arms in the spot where the group had been mere heartbeats before. Caden shot towards the robot. He was immediately struck by one of the yellow tendrils. He yelped, and the remains of the energy gun disappeared. Caden collapsed. Jack flapped his red wings, half running-half flying to reach his fallen friend. The monster turned, its left eye firing up for another shot._

"_No!"_

_Paul jumped between them, raising Shane's blaster and firing. A small rocket shot into the thing's eye. After a few seconds, the missile exploded, knocking the monster backwards. It was now boiling, and becoming hard to breath. Sasha appeared next to the group, followed by Cybernoid. _

_**Standard! Punch a hole in the dome before it reboots!**_

_**On it!**_

_Flapping up to the dome, Jack slammed his fish into the metal. It dented slightly. It wasn't much, but it fueled Standard. Down below, the monster slowly got back up as Pawn regained consciousness. The monster shot another blast, and everyone dodged. It turned to Standard punching a hole in the roof, but Cybernoid made his armor explode in light, successfully attracting the robot's attention. It leaped forward, and Cybernoid was swept out of the way milliseconds before he was crushed. Standard carried him over to Sasha and landed._

_**I've punched a hole, but there's only enough room for one of us to go at a time.**_

_Sasha nodded._

_**Caden, you go first. We'll keep the robot's attention while you escape. Cyber, you go next, then Target. Standard next, and I'll go last. Cybernoid, Target, Standard! Gamma distraction move!**_

_The four others nodded. Caden soared up to the three-foot wide hole and stuck his arms through. The other four formed a square around the robot as Pulse wriggled his shoulders out. Target made the first move. With a skilled spin, he jumped and twisted, using his wings to balance him without actually using them to fly. He drew a long and wicked-looking katana, slicing through the metal like butter before planting both feet on the robot's side and rocketing into a backward flip and landing on his feet when he had been seconds before. A large gash was where the rib cage would be on an animal, and the inside was flashing and crackling with broken wire and electric pulses with nowhere to go. Pulse yanked his wings out, losing a couple of feathers on the way, and emerged on top, under the night sky. He sent a wordless mental confirmation to everyone._

_**Cybernoid, now you.** Sasha said._

_Shane nodded, soaring up to the hold, his battle armor glowing blue. Metal sprang from nowhere and wrapped his hand in an iron fist. He put is hand out, and felt Pulse grab it to help him. The three remaining angels repositioned themselves into a triangle. It was Standard's turn now. He charged forward, taking a huge jump. He slammed his fist into the monster's other side. It leaned alarmingly to the side, almost collapsing on top of Target. Whether it was fortunately or unfortunately, the thing regained its balance by the time Standard had returned to his spot._

_**He's out. Target, now you.**_

_Target nodded and ascended towards the hole. Standard and Whiplash shifted, so the robot was between them. It was now Sasha's turn. _

_**Hey Target! Throw me a bone here!** Sasha thought to him._

_A small katana about the size of Whiplash's arm was thrown down. Sasha caught it, and shot off. She ran in circles around the monster, growing closer with each lap. When she was close enough, she stuck out the katana and cut the thing the whole way around multiple times before returning to her place. The metal groaned, and then toppled over, the feet sliced clean from the legs._

_**Target's almost through. You next.** Sasha said._

_Target got through in the next minute. Jack flapped lazily up, tailed by Sasha. Suddenly, Sasha had an impending sense of unease. She cocked her head. What was going on? Then, abruptly, she knew._

"_**No!**" she screamed, both verbally and mentally. She threw herself in front of Jack. The cannonball hit her hard. Her mouth opened in a scream. He wings went limp, and she plummeted._

_**Sasha!**_

_Jack flew don to her, too late to keep her from hitting the ground. He landed beside her. Magman's goons were re-entering, armed with some sort of new gun._

_**Come on!** Jack said. **We need to get out.**_

_**Then go!**_

_**What?! No! I'll bring you out—**_

_**Don't be stupid. There's only enough room for one of us to go, and I can't fly.**_

_**I can—**_

_**Go!**_

_**But—**_

_**NOW!**_

_Sasha reached up and dragged her fingernails across Jack's arm. His eyes momentarily filled with tears, and then he alighted, soaring up and through the gap. He just managed to get away before another electric ball tagged him. He landed, and all four of them stared down in horror. _

_**I'm sorry.**_

_Their leader's words echoed in their heads. Then, they heard a terrible ripping sound and the bubbling of thick liquid. No words passed between them as their leader's mind disappeared from their mental pentagon. Then, with the same mind, the all thought the same thing to each other in unison._

_**She's gone.**_

_Then, with minds so numb that their wings operated themselves and teamed up with the subconscious part of their brains, the now four friends flew into the night._

**TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

**

Finally. She was done with the 10th book. She hadn't exactly decided what was going to happen in the 11th, but hey, she wasn't pressed for time. It wasn't like she had a _due date_ or anything. _And just in time, too._ She thought as the lunch bell rang. She hadn't taken any notes, and didn't remember a thing, or even what the class had been on. She grabbed her blank notebook and unused pen, trotting into the hall. She put her stuff in her locker, and went to the cafeteria. Her four friends were waiting for her. She got herself some food and sat down at her usual place at the head of the table. James was at her right hand, Peter was at her left, Sam was on the other side of James and C.D was on the other side of Peter. When she had started AngelForce, she had modeled the characters after her and her friends. Ana, like Sasha, was the ringleader in their little group. James, like Jack, was her second. Peter, like Paul, came in third, while Sam, like Shane, was fourth. C.D, like Caden, was lowest, the omega. C.D usually received the brunt of a whole lot of pranks, and Peter was immensely fond of picking on him. While Ana had modeled the characters after her little group, she hadn't named them the name, not wanting to be narcissistic. They were the only ones that knew about her series, but Ana had never let them actually read it. Ana was very self-conscious, and wouldn't let anyone read any of her comic, let alone Angelforce: the Loss yet, with which she wasn't even done. She still had a ways to go color-wise. She needed to go all the way back with her marker set, and do every single panel by hand. She had never even let her parents see her comics, but anyone who happened upon them would be impressed with the quality. Ana was very good at drawing.

The lunch passed uneventfully. Ana had a hamburger and some chocolate milk, feeling very grateful that her meal wasn't the usual slop, and being very thankful that they had a new lunch lady who seemed very good at her job. They finished their lunch, and before they left for their other classes, Ana had Sam promise to capture all of the cases on videotape. Not like she should have had to ask. He always did that, so they could all laze away class hours and then rerun the session on their special website. Ana trotted of to class (chemistry, ugh!), wondering what she would do. Would she brainstorm on her next graphic novel? Do some random drawings of her characters? Draw some scenes that filled up the whole page? As she sat down, she just couldn't decide what to do, but the last thing on her list was to pay attention in class. Her hand suddenly took on a life of its own, pulling out some paper and a pencil. She tried to stop, to try and put then back, but her hand merely stopped activity. Ana considered for a moment, and then let her subconscious take over. Her hand soared across the page, forming the base for a head that filled the entire paper. She formed the face, erasing the structure lines. She just kept drawing. Her pencil formed a face so beautiful hat it should have belonged to an angel. She put her pencil away and took out her markers, continuing. His skin was a light peach, as if he had hardly been outside in his entire life. His hair was an enchanting sandy blonde. His eyes were a clear blue, unfocused and staring into the distance. He was wearing a sweater, though only the neck showed. It was turtleneck, a deep blue with sky blue stripes, and it totally complimented his face. As a last touch, she put the markers away and pulled out her rarely-used colored pencils, that were only active in sketches. She hadn't used them for four years. With the yellow and golden, Ana drew a magnificent and hazy background that could have been sunrise or sunset. Ana looked at her work, finished. Her eyes widened.

_Wait… what—no, who— did I just draw?_

He was absolutely the most handsome guy Ana had ever set eyes on. She had draw him in a… _romantic _light? What the hell was wrong with her? She had never seen this guy in her life. A bit shell-shocked, Ana stuffed the picture into the farthest reaches of her backpack. She took out some more paper and another pencil, planning on drawing Sasha to get her mind off things. After twenty minutes, she looked at her drawing, and almost had a heartattack. It was the same guy, but this time a whole body. He was facing her, his posture relaxed, one knee locked while the other was bent, in a position that Ana was in frequently when she needed to rest but could not sit down.

For the rest of the day, Ana passed from class to class like a zombie, desperately trying to get the strange guy out of her head. And she just kept drawing him over and over. But in her last class before the day went out, Ana drew her most startling picture. When the bell rang, she walked out, the last one through the door with her teacher looking at her in concern. She was holding her picture last picture as far away from her as possible with only two fingers, as if it was toxic, and yet she felt afraid to let go. They were sparkling white, with red and gold sunset highlights from the sunset-mountain background. He was smiling, the only picture where he wasn't staring vaguely into the great beyond. But the smile wasn't what scared her. It was his two other limbs. This guy, this piece of imagination that just demanded to be let out, had wings.

* * *

**So what do you guys think?**

**Please do not be afraid of the green button below.**

**Just click it and write!**


	2. The Mutants

**Okay, I know that I'm bringing some X3 things in like Warren Worthington**

**or the Cure, but it's just a fanfic.**

**Please tell me what you think!**

* * *

Ana yawned and sat up. She stretched, not noticing when she bent over backwards and almost kicked herself in the nose. It was time to get up and get ready for school. Ana, still bleary-eyed and groggy, hopped off of her queen-sized bed. As she walked to the bathroom, she didn't notice the feather that lay on the floor beside her feet. She picked up her small hand mirror, checking to see what she would need to do today. She used the mirror for when she was getting ready for he day and right after bed to see what damage the night had done to her. As soon as she saw her reflection, she stopped cold.

_What the __**hell**__ happened to my __**hair**__!?_

Her hair was supposed to be a dark cross between copper and brown. _Supposed_ to be. But her hair was (Ana choked as she thought this) white. It was like someone had combined whipped cream with silver, and then put it into the clouds to frost over, and then come down and lather her hair. And the black streaks… what was going _on_? A shocked Ana gently put down the mirror, and continued to the bathroom. She had to try and wash this out as soon as she could.

Her parents came running the instant they heard their daughter's bloodcurdling scream.

"Honey!" her father said, throwing open the bathroom door. "Honey, what is—"

He suddenly stopped talking. His eyes widened. Sitting on the closed toilet seat was his daughter, her face ashen gray, clashing with her white and black-streaked hair. The small spaces between her and both walls were taken up by a set of wings, soft and white, sprinkled with black flecks.

* * *

Ana clutched her pillow, all of her terrified tears already spent and soaking it. She was on her stomach, her new wings trembling on top of her. Her parents had ordered her to stay home. She knew that, though they loved her, that from this day forward they would never understand her. They… they were _ashamed_ of her. They had sent her to her room and taken off, not telling her where they were going. Now, she just lay in her bed, numb with the shock of the morning. She didn't know how long she lay there. It felt like eternity, but when she checked her clock, it showed that it had only been twenty minutes. Then, as Ana regained her senses, she sat up, and then stood. Her wings folded tight against her back. She had changed into her working out clothes; an exercise bra and her black running shorts. They were the only clothes she had that didn't restrict her two new limbs. As the rest of the shock wore off, and Ana's mind revved back into action, groping around for something to think about. It found something very big in about fifteen seconds.

_Wait,_ Ana thought to herself, _I have… I have… I have wings!_

Though she had actually discovered this a few hours ago, the full impact of it hit her now. She had wings! What she had dreamed about for as long as she could remember was now real! She felt it; a joy that bubbled hot and thick charging all six of her limbs. Then, with what seemed like an explosion, Ana's wings shot outward to their full wingspan. Her feathers just brushed the opposite walls.

_A twenty-foot wingspan!_ Ana thought, amazed.

Ana's face lit up with a grin. She didn't care how this happened, but it was the best thing that ever could have happened to her.

_Ana._

Ana whipped around in a full circle, but there was no one there. She looked up, but there was no source of the voice.

_Ana. Ana._

Ana turned again, looking wildly around the room. Still nothing. What was happening? Ana draped her wings around her defensively.

_Ana. ana. ANA. _

There it was again. Suddenly, voices exploded into her head, whispering her name. Ana clutched her head.

"Stop." Ana said, quietly.

The voices kept on whispering.

"_Stop_!"

They paid no mind, and increased. Ana dug her fingernails into her hair, drawing blood. The voices grew louder and softer at the same time. Ana screeched and lunged for her bedside lamp, grabbing it and throwing it.

"STOP!"

The lamp shattered. The voices were silent. Ana was breathing hard. She had sunk into a low crouch, as if waiting for a fight. Sweat was on her brow. Ana, suddenly exhausted, collapsed onto her bed. She heard some sort of ripping noise, and felt the gashes that her fingers had left close up. Her hand flew to her forehead. The gashes were gone. Then she heard something that she would have never expected.

_Ana?_

She knew that voice.

_James?_

_Is that you? _

_Is that __**you**__?_

_Yep, it's you. But what… how…?_

_I don't know. For all I know, you could just be some subconscious part of me, commonly referred to at 'the little voice in the back of my head'._

_I could say the exact same thing._

_Ana? James? Is that you two?_

_Peter?_

_Peter?_

_It is you two!_

_I'm here too!_

_Sam!_

_Don' forget Mr. Music!_

_C.D!_

_Yep. Are you guys at school?_

_No._

_No._

_Nope._

_Zip._

_We're all at home then, but— _C.D started.

_Don't tell me—_ Sam continued

_Wings!_ Ana finished.

There were about fifty seconds in silence. No one knew what to say. Finally, Ana thought of something.

_Ay guys, are your parents at home?_ Ana asked.

_No,_ They all said in unison.

_Mine rushed off. Wouldn't tell me where._ Sam said.

_Same here._ Everyone repeated.

_I know where they're going._ Ana said suddenly.

Everyone's mental increase was almost tangible.

_Where?_ The question wasn't even put into a real word.

_They're all scared of us, now that we're mutants. They're going to get the Cure._

Everyone was silent. Ana broke the silence.

_If they try to inject me with that loathsome poison and take away my wings, then they shall forfeit their title as my parents._

Though nothing was spoken, everyone sent the powerful feeling of agreement and rebellion. Ana suddenly heard the key turn in the lock of the front door.

_Gotta go. They're back._ Said Ana.

Everyone mentally nodded, and Ana was sent the impression that it was the same for all of them. Ana grabbed her almost new tan trench coat and put it on, mostly covering her wings. She didn't want to put any pressure on her parents. Ana trotted downstairs to meet them. She kept going over in her mind that they weren't going to give her the cure. They might have just gone to the grocery store. As she stepped onto the ground floor, she froze. There was a white paper bag in her father's hands with a molecule symbol on it and the title "Worthington Labs". They had gotten the Cure for her. Ana backed away a tiny step as her father walked towards her.

"Get. That. Away. From. Me." Ana said.

"It'll only hurt of a few seconds. You'll have your wings gone in no time." Her father said, pulling out a syringe.

"Get it away from me!"

"You'll be normal soon, honey, you don't need to worry." Her father said, grabbing Ana's wrist and bringing the Cure towards it.

"I said GET IT AWAY!" Screamed Ana.

Ana's wings tore themselves from under the trench coat, getting between her and her father. The screech of a bird of prey ripped from her throat. She thrust her wings outward, trying to push him away, and sent him flying to the other side of the room. Her mother backed against the wall to Ana's left. Ana stalked up to her father, not noticing her eyes turn a brilliant golden.

"You will _never, ever_ try to touch my wings again. If you're so scared of them that you won't let me make my own choice, then you are not my father."

Ana's father's eyes widened.

"I—I'm not your father." He said tremblingly.

Ana blinked. Whatever she had expected to come out of his mouth, it wasn't that.

"W—we adopted you." Her mother said.

Ana almost exploded. Her wings flared to their full twenty feet.

"**What**!? And you never told me?!" she screamed.

Ana's eyes smoldered, and she looked more likely to breath fire than a dragon. Her wings flared behind her. She approached her father.

"Explain."

"We just wanted a child so much." Her father said, almost breaking down. "We went to this church back then. It was all arranged by the minister."

Ana's wings folded onto her back. It made so much sense now. Her parents both had black hair, and hers had been brown. She was slender, with defined muscles, while her parents were both stocky and short. As the scene froze; Ana standing threateningly over her father, her father on the floor, her bother back against a wall, the most unusual and ironic thing happened. If she hadn't been in the position she was in now, she would probably have laughed. The doorbell rang. The three family members all blinked. At a silent agreement, Ana ran upstairs to her room, out of view of the door. She heard her father answer the door, and heard a woman's voice. There was some caution, and some threats, but she heard the woman step inside, sit in the living room chair. She heard her parents—no, they weren't her parents anymore. Not now, not ever—say something about a beautiful school campus, and a few other things. Ana couldn't hear too well behind her closed door. After a few ore minutes, Ana heard something that made her heart skip a beat.

"Maybe we should talk to her alone."

There were a few more words, and then;

"Ana! Sweetie, come down."

Ana nearly boiled. _Sweetie? How dare they call me that? They can come up here and get me, if it's so important!_

Ana heard her parents begin to walk up the stairs.

* * *

Logan watched the couple walk up the stairs to get their daughter.

"They're scared of her." Logan said.

"You're smelling wrong. They're scared _for_ her, and they're probably scared of us. And I don't blame them." Storm replied.

"They were scared before we rang. It was seeping out the corners of the door. And I still have no idea why I had to come to get this one, out of all five of them."

"Xavier just said that you're the one that can reach her the best. He says that she's a rebellious child, and you're the most similar personality that we have."

"So if he says all that, then you're here…?"

"To get through to her parents."

Logan snorted. He turned his head as he heard feet come down the stairs. Storm looked too as the young girl came down. Ana's wings were just visible, folded tightly against her back. Storm blinked as she saw the girl's hair. It was almost exactly like Storm's, although while Storm's was short, Ana's reached her waist. Ana approached the chair opposite Storm. She hooked her leg around the leg of the footrest and swung it over to her, where she sat down. Storm was momentarily confused, but then realized that it would be rather uncomfortable to sit in a chair of you had wings. The first words out of Ana's mouth were what were expected.

"Who are you?" Ana asked.

"My name is Ororo Munroe, but I am mostly referred to as Storm. This man is Logan, also called Wolverine. We are teachers at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. We have come to invite you to come."

"Not sure if you're noticed, lady, but I'm not exactly an average student." Ana said.

Logan chuckled silently. He liked this kid…

"Xavier's School is a school for people like us. It's a school for mutants. There, we learn to control our powers and use them for good."

"Oh really? So you are both mutants?" Ana asked a bit defensively.

"Yes, we are." Storm answered.

"So what have you two got that's so special?" Ana challenged.

Storm's eyes faded to white. She held her hand, palm-up, and a mini tornado whipped to life.

"I can control the weather. Logan has uncharted healing abilities, an adamantium skeleton, and adamantium claws."

At Ana's bemused expression, Storm added.

"Adamantium is a metal, supposedly unbreakable. It was grafted to Logan's entire skeleton. He survived because of his healing factor."

Ana was still a bit confused, but she nodded.

"In the outside world, mutants are hated and persecuted. At the Xavier institute, you will not only be among your own kind, but we can give you a home and a family that will accept you and understand you. You will be safe there, without the fear of rejection."

At this point, Ana was leaning forward, her eyes intense. Logan did a double take. _Are her eyes golden?_ Logan knew animals better than anything else, and knew the eyes of a raptor when he saw one. He pushed the thought out o his mind before he could think it. It was Ana's turn to speak.

"If I come with you… no one will be scared of me? No one will try and Cure me? I'll be accepted?"

"Yes."

"I'm in." Ana said. "But wait. There were others, four boys—"

"They are being spoken to as well. It is their choice whether to come or not." Storm replied.

"They'll all come."

Logan smiled slightly at the kid's confidence. It was unusual for the X-Men to find just one mutant, let alone five at the same time, not to mention with the same power. It was a bit naïve to say something like that before she knew. How could she know? Logan wasn't even sure if the five kids knew each other.

"Go get packed and come back down." Storm said.

Ana nodded and sprinted up the stairs. Logan blinked. That was a little fast, even for a sprint. They only had to wait a few minutes until Ana came back down with a duffel and a backpack. She had also changed; she had on some jeans, and her favorite fussy blue coat. She had made two slits in the back of all of her shirts, knowing that it would be easier to get dressed in the morning. She also had on a brown trench coat, completely hiding her wings. _smart girl._ Logan thought. She approached storm, and Logan noticed that there was something in her hands. She showed it to storm.

"Can I take this?" Ana asked. "I've had it for a really long time, and I think of it as a friend."

She was holding a dagger, locked in a sheath designed to look like some sort of snake. The handle was the rearing head of a cobra. Storm looked very conflicted.

"Well… oh, all right." Storm said. "I guess that I don't have to lecture you on safety if you've had it a long time."

Ana grinned, and then carefully stowed it in the farthest reaches of her backpack. She slung it over her shoulder and picked up her duffel.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to your parents?"

"I already did."

Storm cocked her head, then shrugged.

"Okay then. We'll take you to the blackbird."

Ana looked a bit confused, but decided to keep her mouth shut. They stepped outside.

They rented a cab. Storm was shotgun, while Logan and Ana were in the back. Ana fidgeted the entire time, deciding that she now hated cars. It was extremely uncomfortable to sit on the lower half of her wings, where the longest feathers were. Logan tried not to get annoyed by her fidgeting, but it was hard. He didn't like cars either, and her twitching made the animal part of him nervous. They finally stopped, and Ana was the first out of the car. Logan blinked. That was really fast. He heard Storm get out, and opened his door last.

"A skyscraper?" Ana said, extremely confused.

"We need to go to the top." Storm said.

Ana shrugged, and followed her two elders to the large double doors. Suddenly;

"Thief! Thief!"

A black hooded man burst through the doors. A startled Logan attempted a clumsy swipe, but the man dodged it easily. He also passed Storm, and was a few feet away from Ana. Without thinking, Ana stepped to the left. The thief slammed into her, falling backwards and onto the pavement. Ana stumbled, her hand going to her stomach.

"Ow."

The man shook his head, then reached for the big bag of money that had fallen a few feet from him. Before he got it, a fist slammed into his face with a metallic _clang_. From somewhere, a pair of policemen appeared and handcuffed the bandit with a nosebleed. One took him to the car, while one returned the money to the skyscraper. Ana realized that it was a bank.

"You okay, kid?" Logan said.

Ana nodded, her lungs still a bit too shocked for her to speak. She wordlessly followed Storm and Logan through the doors. They led her to an elevator, and Ororo pushed the button to the very top floor. Ana took a few deep breaths, and her organs loosened up. Ana knew that she would probably have a big bruise there in the morning. They got off after a few minutes, then took a small flight of stairs to the flat top. When her eyes adjusted to the light, Ana gasped. There was a huge black jet on top of the building. It was definitely the most awesome thing that Ana had ever seen in her entire life.

_Hey! What're you looking at?_ C.D suddenly said, entering Ana's mind.

_What? What do you mean?_ Ana asked.

_You were feeling a little dizzy and numb before; we all felt it. But just now, you projected some sort of amplified feeling of shock._ James answered.

_Have you guys—_

_Been approached by two strange people? I have._ James said.

The other three agreed.

"We're going to need to wait for the others. Why don't you come inside and meet Xavier?"

_Quick! Where are you guys right now?_

_Bus. _Said James.

_Cab. Really uncomfortable._ Said Sam.

_A really small car._ Said C.D

_Cab._ Said Peter, finishing the roll call.

_Can you guys stay with me a couple of minutes? I'm going to need your help._

_Sure._ They all said in unison.

"Coming." Ana said, following Storm while Logan waited outside. The inside looked just as cool and high-tech as the outside. There were some nice seats, and almost everything seemed to have an 'X' on it. In the front of the plane, there was a bald man in a wheelchair facing her.

_Hello. My name is Charles Xavier._

Ana froze. This guy could speak to her too? Ana sent out a wordless command to the other four, still in her mind. They all pitched together, and raised a wall between the man's mind and Ana's own. There was just enough space for the two of them to have a mental conversation. Ana just had a feeling that she needed to defend the rest of her mind from him, including her conversations with the others.

_Woah! How did you know that you'd need our help?_ C.D asked.

…_I don't know. I just did. I'm going to thought-speak him back._

_What? Are you crazy?_

_Humor me._

Ana heard C.D's mental huff before he fell silent. The rest were tense, she could feel it. Ana cautiously reached out her mind.

_Nice to meet you, Charles. My name is Anastasia Skyman._

Charles smiled. He reached out his hand. Ana cautiously stuck hers out and shook it. His grip was firm and friendly, a good handshake. Ana relaxed.

_It's okay; he's a good man and a friend._ Ana said to her comrades.

_How do you know?_ Peter asked.

Ana decided not to answer that. She smiled broadly at Charles.

"What should I call you?" Ana asked.

"I am referred to as Charles, or as simply Xavier. Most people call me Professor."

Ana nodded.

"Now, about your friends. I know that one is coming for sure, but the others—"

"They're all coming." Ana said, her expression darkening a little.

The Professor's forehead knit.

"Now, no one can know until—"

"They. Are. All. Coming." Ana repeated, dangerously slow.

Xavier's gaze flashed to Storm. Ana could tell that they were having a brief exchange, but she didn't dare look at it. Doing so would make the mental wall collapse without all five minds of concentration focusing. Xavier looked back at Ana. And then she felt it. It was just a tiny little brush, but an immensely powerful mind was pressing against the wall.

_He wants to read your mind!_ C.D said.

_No, duh!_ Ana answered.

Ana reached out and mentally touched the Professor.

_My mind in one of the only sanctuaries that I have left that has not been breached. Can you accept that I just know that they are all coming, and be content?_

The Professor drew away from the Wall. He nodded physically.

_Gotta go! We're almost about to step out of an elevator!_

_All of you?_

_It's a tight fit, but, yeah._

The Wall dissolved as the others retreated. Ana could still feel them, but they just weren't with her directly. It was like she had been talking with them, and then they had moved to the other side of the room.

"They're almost here; they're just about to step out of the elevator."

"I know." Was Xavier's reply. "All four of them came."

Storm's eyes widened. Ana heard a small gasp escape from the white-haired woman. There were the sounds of a lot of footsteps from below, as well as some voices. Ana closed her eyes and cocked her head. There were… eleven people, two for almost each person. The whole lot shuffled into the jet. Ana recognized her friends immediately. Jack was flanked by a guy with really weird glassed and a pleasant-looking girl with red hair. Peter was followed by a girl with brown hair in a ponytail and a boy with a lighter. Sam was followed by a girl in a yellow slicker and a girl with gloves and a white streak in her hair. C.D was followed by a guy with blond hair that radiated cold. Logan came in last.

_Quick! The Prof's going to talk to James next! The Wall!_

No one asked how she knew; they just did it. The introduction passed uneventfully. They all heard the two greet each other, with James acting like this was his first encounter with the Professor. Charles didn't try to brush James' mind, or anyone else's though they put up the barrier every time. Then, when she was least expecting it, the Professor talked to her again.

_That is quite an ability you have, being able to block out telepaths doubled with our wings._

_Erm…_ Ana didn't really know what to say to that. She decided to go on a different topic.

_Sorry about before. I didn't mean to be rude, but it's just that a lot of things have been happening recently. My mind just seems like the only place that I'm safe._

_I understand._

Ana managed a weak smile.

_You might want to sit down and put on your seat belt; we're about to take off._

Ana did as she was told. James touched her mind a moment later.

_So, what does he think? About our connection and stuff?_

Ana felt immensely relieved as she replied.

_He doesn't know._


End file.
